Means for starting and reversing multiple-cylinder internal-combustion engines



F. AND E. CARTER.

MEANS FOR STARTING AND REVERSING MULTIPLE CYLINDER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED .IAN- 5. I920.

Pa'bented Dec. 7, 1920.

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F. AND E. CARTER.

MEANS FOR STARTING AND REVERSING MULTIPLE CYLINDER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5. 1920.

1 361,681, Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

F. AND E. CARTER. MEANS FOR STARTING AND REVERSING MULTIPLE CYLINDER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5I I920,

' I Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

- 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

. F. AND E. CARTER.

MEANS FOR STARTING AND REVERSING MULTIPLE CYLINDER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED lAN- 5'. I920.

1,3 1,6 1, f I Patented Dec. 7,1920.

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/ L I l '1 w o \/V%2 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

FRANK CARTER AND EVERSHED CARTER, 0F STAMFORD, ENGLAND .ASSI GNORS 0F ONE-THIRD TO GEORGE MILLS BLACKSTONE 0F STAMFORD, ENGLAND.

MEANS FOR STARTING AND REVERSING MULTIPLE-CYLINDER INTERNA -commis- TION ENGINES.

Application filed January 5, 1920. Serial No. 349,513. 7

tion engines ofthe four stroke cycle type,

with three or more cylinders wherein the fuel is pumped in governed quantities for each charge and is sprayed by compressed air, and in which cam actuated air and exhaust valves are employed. The object of our invention is to provide means as hereinafter descrlbed for starting such an engine with compressed air from any position and,

inlet, half compression,

if preferred, by duplicating the cams in either direction even when the starting air pressure is lower than that required for spraying the fuel into cylinders on half compression.

According to our invention we employ a single camshaft and arrange inlconnection with it a number of levers appropriate for working the starting air valve, the working air inlet valve, the fuel spraying valve, and the exhaust valve. .We arrange the cam shaft to slide, and to enable this to be done we form the cams with inclined ends in the usual well known manner. We also provide means whereby it can be fixed in any one of four or seven axial positions, four for engines required to run in one direction only, and seven for engines running in either direction.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention Figure 1 is a side elevation of so much of a cam shaft as is necessary to operate the valves of one cylinder, showlng the axial jpositionsof the cam bowls, their angular positions being ignoredfor the sake of clearness;

Fig. 2' is an end view of the cam shaft showing the angular positions of the air starting and working exhaust cams for one cylinder.

Fig. 3 is an end view showing the starting air and spraying cams.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing the end Specification of Letters Patent;

and the engine is a air engine.

Patented Dec. *7, 1920.

of the cam shaft with the driving gear, and means for sliding'the shaft axially.

F g. 5 is an end elevation of the same;

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the angular opening of the exhaust valve, when start- 1ng, with respect to the crank path.

F 1g. 7 1s a diagram showing the angular opening of the working exhaust. r F gs. 8, 9, and 10 are diagrams showing the angular opening of the starting air valve, the working inlet air valve, and' the fuel spray valve respectively.

a, is carrying the same and in which the shaft is slidably mounted; b is the exhaust valve cam bowl; 0 is the starter air cam bowl ,d is the fuelsprayer valve cam bowl, and e the Working air inletvalve bowl. I V

The cam shaft is shown in the neutral position. For the sake of clearness, and to avoid overlapping, the seven positions of each bowl in respect to the cam shaft are indicated by dot and dash center lines. In

the central or neutral position, the cam bowls are in'the relative positions indicated by thedot and dash lines f, g, h, z, and no cams are under the bowls except the exhaust.

7 With the cam shaft in the first position to the right or left of the neutral according to the direction of running'the' bowls are in, the relative positions indicated by each in-stroke by the cam 12', or b ,and the cam b orb, the chamfered edge of the bowl riding on the sloping ends of these last mentioned cams. 1 v

In these positions no cams are underthe working air inlet and fuel spraying valves,

With the cam shaft in the second position to the right or left-of neutral, the'bowls' are in the relative positions indicated by the single actingcompressed lines f f g g 71?, h, and 11 ,6 and the workingair inlet valve is operated every alternate outstroke by the earn 6, or 6 the chamfered edge of the bowl riding on the sloping) end of the cam, the fuel spraying valve y the'cam d, or (F, at or near the end of the compression stroke, and the exhaust valve by the cam 6 or b, during each alternate in-stroke, and during the first porstarting air bowl, and the engine works as a four stroke internal combustion engine on half compression.

' lVith the cam shaft in the third position to the right or left'of the neutral, the bowls are in the relative positions indicated by the dotted lines 7, f, g, g, 72. it, and i i and the working air inlet valve is operated every alternate out-stroke by the cam e, or 6 the fuel sprayin valve at or near the end of the compresslon stroke by the cam d, or 01 and the exhaust valve every alternate instroke by the cam 12 ,01 b. In these posltions no cam is under the starting air bowl and the engine works as a four stroke cycle internal combustion engine on full compresslon. r

In Fig. 2 the broken line n represents the exhaust valve lever; 0 the air valve lever, and 2 their fulcrum. In Fig. 3 q is the startlng valve lever, and 9 its fulcrum, r

the sprayer valve lever, and 'r' its fulcrum.

, The position of these levers can, of course,

bevaried to. suit the engine to which the invention is applied.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, j 1s a lever on the plug j, by means of which the cam shaft is moved axially through the eccentrically mounted. member j engaging the slot is, inthe plunger is. This plunger is retained in a given angular position by the set pin k entering the keyway 70 The cam shaft a revolves in the plunger and is held in position axially therewith by the shoulder a ,'and nut a The lever. j is held in engagement with the notched plate 3' by means of a spring 7' Z is a long skew spur gear wheel fast on the camshaft a, and driven by the gear wheel 1', on the shaft Z 7 The spiral angle of this gear is such that i the opening faces of the exhaust cam for starting and working can be in the same angular position, asshown at 6 N, Fig. 2, and yet cause the valve to open so much later in the starting position in order to avoidhaving the air starter, and exhaust valves open at the same time. I

, In Figs. 6 to 10, the dotted circle m, represents the path of the crank pin, the small circles m represent the points of opening of the several valves, and the small circles m,

; the points of closing. The points m are the inward dead centers and the dotted lines m represent the angular lengths of opening of each valve.

7 I In a three cylinderengine with the cranks at 120, the air starter valves must be open for more than 120 in order toinsure a Allowing 5 of lap we open the starter air .and container to enable a suflioiently. high start at any point. We find it the best practice to ooen the working exhaust at before the outward dead center and to close it 15 past the inward dead center (see Fig; 7).

valve at 20 past the center m and keep it open for 130 so that if the starter exhaust be opened at the same period as the working exhaust the air and exhaust would be open together through an angle of 15.

This is overcome by opening the starter exhaust at 25 before the outward dead center (Fig. 8) by means of the fgear spiral as explained above, and the cams L 6?, are backed off at I2 13 to close the valve at the same point as it closes in the working posi tion.

To supply the compressed air for starting and spraying we provide-an air compressor worked from the engine crankshaft and connect it with a container by meansof a pipe. having branches to the starting valves of the various cylinders. A separate pipe from the compressor leads to the spraying valves.

Should the container pressure be lower than that required for spraying the fuel, a stop cook or the like is provided'to disconnect the compressor from the starting valves pressure to be accumulated in the spraying valve pipe to inject the fuel when the cam shaft is moved to the half compression po-. f sition. t.

What we claim is I.

1. In an internal combustion engine of the kind in which fuel is pumped in governed quantities for each charge, and injected at or near the end of the compression stroke, the combination of a starting air'valve, a working air inlet valve, a fuel spraying 1 valve, and an exhaust valve, appropriate levers for working said valves, a single cam shaft provided with cams for actuating the valve levers, said cam shaft being slidable' retaimng it in any one of four different axial positions, whereby the following .re-

sults are obtained (1) neutral, engine at rest, (2) start as single acting compressed air engine, (3) work-as four stroke cycle internal combustion engine on half compression, and (4:) work as four stroke cycle internal combustion engine on full compression substantially as described.

2. In an internal combustion engine of 1720 the kind in which fuel is pumpedinrgoverned quantities. foreach charge, and in-. jected at or near the end of the compression stroke, the combination of a starting air valve, a working air inlet valve, a, fuel 12 5 spraying valve, and an exhaust valve, appropriate levers for working said valves, a single cam shaft provided with duplicate cams on opposite sides of a neutral or central position for actuating thevalve levers,

said camshaft being slidable axially either way from a central position, means for sliding the cam shaft and retaining it in any one of three positions on either side of the cen tral position, whereby the engine can be started and run in either direction, and the following results may be attained, (1) new tral, engine at rest, (2) start as single acting compressed air engine, (3) work as fourstroke cycle internal combustion engine on half compression, and (4) work as fourstroke cycle internal combustion engine on full compression.

3. In an internal combustion engine of the kind in which fuel is pumped in governed quantities for each charge, and injected at or near the end of the compression stroke, the combination of a starting air valve, a

working air inlet valve, a fuel spraying valve, and an exhaust valve, appropriate levers for working said valves, a singlecam shaft provided with cams for actuating the valve levers, said camshaft being slidable axially, means for sliding the cam shaft, a gear wheel, and a skew spur gear wheel fixed to the cam shaft and driven by said gear Wheel, said skew spur gear wheel adapted, when the shaft is moved axially, to impart a twisting movement to the shaft to differentiate the opening positions of the exhaust cams for startin and working.

FRA CARTER. EVERSHED CARTER. lVitnesses RICHARD E. WATTS, WALTER MALCOLM. 

